This invention relates to a method of producing hydrogen from a cellulose-containing biomass.
One known method for the production of hydrogen from wood chips includes subjecting the wood chips to water gas shift reactions in which the wood chips are converted into hydrogen and carbon monoxide and the carbon monoxide in turn is converted into hydrogen and carbon dioxide. Since the above reactions should be performed at a high temperature of about 1,000.degree. C., it is a general practice to burn part of the wood chips to supply the heat for the reactions. Thus, the efficiency of the above method is not satisfactory. Further, the above method is not applicable to a wet cellulose-containing biomass.